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> Unfortunately "manus" again, allegedly with
a longer u... manus belongs to the u declination,
> which has plural on -us, whereas most
other words (humerus, radius, astragalus, tarsus...) on
> -us belong to the o declination, which has
-i.
But how am I supposed to indicate both were
preserved then? "....., two manus, ......"? Sounds
awkward.
That's the problem with plesiomorphic
indo-european languages. :-|
> A cotylar articulation without cranial
kinesis?
This is what Maryanska and Osmolska
(2000) have to say about oviraptorids- "This process (on the quadrate)
bears a large concave surface that receives the large condyle on the
posteroventral extremity of the quadratojugal."
Aha...
> What exactly is a hypopubic
cup?
An expanded, posteriorly concave area on the
distal pubis. Martin and others claim it was present in Archaeopteryx
(instead of a pubic foot, as that would be theropod-like). Norell and
Makovicky (1999) show that the supposed cup in Archaeopteryx is actually a
calcite mass and that Velociraptor may actually have a slight cup.
Forster et al. (1998) state a hypopubic cup is present in Rahonavis, but Geist
and Feduccia (2000) think it was absent. I think it may have something
to do with the avian respiratory system, but I'm not
sure.
Thanks! (So there is a difference to the
pubic foot/boot, sometimes I have suspected the BAND simply hadn't understood
what the latter is... :-) )
> Is it possible that all known specimens
(that stretches it, of course) are immature, which could > explain the
unfused sterna (sutured in Velociraptor, fused AFAIK in other
oviraptorosaurs,
> Pelicanimimus, tyrannosaurids,
Sinraptor...) and the 5 sacrals?
I knew there was something I would forget in that
gigantic post. Ji et al. think NGMC 97-4-A and NGMC 97-9-A were adult
based on the well-ossified sternal plates, sternal ribs, carpals and
tarsus. The other specimens are of similar size and also preserve those
elements (as well as uncinate processes), so can be assumed to have been
adults as well. Also, most sterna are sutured in oviraptorids, not
fused. I believe only one example of a fused sternum is known from an
oviraptorid, currently referred to Ingenia. I'm sure Jaime can elaborate
and/or correct me if I got some details wrong.
Mhm.
> mmmm... which ones?
Promaxillary fenestra absent; first premaxillary
tooth much larger than others; elongate narial fossa; posterior margin of
ischium concave.
Thanks!
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